The village joiner Keeping a dying trade alive
Desmond Williamson is a joiner by trade and a resident of Half Mile, Wismar, Linden. Realising that joinery is a dying trade and most young people are not inclined to learn, Williamson said he is willing to have some youths in the community be trained at his shop free of cost (Carl Croker photo).
SUNDAY APRIL 25, 2021
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
The increasing inclusion of guns in Guyanese plays By Francis Quamina Farrier
NO doubt you have observed an increase in violent themes in the Guyanese theatre and other performing arts in recent
years. One which is obvious is the use of guns in more recent Guyanese plays. As a veteran in the field of theatre, I have been asked to comment on this developing trend. In this article, I comply. Violence in plays
is really nothing new. Now let us turn back the clock by a few centuries and gloss over some of the plays by William Shakespeare which had quite a lot of violence. “Romeo and Juliet”, “Julius Caesar”, “King Lear”,
The bride learns that her groom is gay, so she pulls out a gun and shoots him, in this play at the National Cultural Centre (Photo by Francis Quamina Farrier)
Art imitating life at point-blank range in a play at the National Cultural Centre (Photo by Francis Quamina Farrier )
“Othello” and “Macbeth.” In the play Julius Caesar, the title character is stabbed to death by a group of conspirators in full view of the audience. Romeo and Juliet both die by suicide. Macbeth comes to his end by being beheaded. During the past decade in Guyana, the use of guns as part of the plots of plays has been increasing. Some of the plots have included
extrajudicial killings played out in full view of audiences. Were children allowed to be part of the audiences of those violent Shakespeare plays? We well know that some of those Shakespeare plays were and continue to be staged by students in High Schools, Colleagues and Universities. Those plays have lots of violent scenes which depict human nature in all its many complexities.
So how should the recent plays by Guyanese playwrights and the messages of domestic violence and gun violence be, especially since lots of the violence include guns? Up for discussion is whether such a high percentage of plays with a high percentage of violence be a good way for SEE PAGE XI
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
Imparting traditional knowledge
Rupununi youth get access to culture-based classes TRADITIONAL knowledge classes in eight villages across the Rupununi are progressing well and have managed to grip the attention of youths whom organisers say may have previously seemed uninter-
Coordinator Neal Miller told Pepperpot Magazine. “And in some cases, parents didn’t think their children wanted to learn but really the children were just shy to ask. The children are thoroughly enjoying them-
selves and we have lots of children who want to join the classes in their village but we are limited to 30 in one village due to COVID guidelines,” Miller further explained. Glad to be supported with
A young girl with her completed baby-sized hammock in Aishalton Village(SRCS Photos)
A youth learning how to weave cotton in Maruranau Village
ested but who now appears to have simply been too shy to ask for an opportunity to learn. The purpose of these classes, organised by the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS), is to spark an interest in youths and get them to be involved in their culture, installing a sense of pride and empowerment. “Any elder in a village will tell you that most young people are losing interest in their heritage and are more concerned with technology, money, and so forth. But from these classes we are seeing that children really do want to learn and it seems like they have just not had the opportunity,” Programme
funding from the Sustainable Wildlife Management - Programme Guyana (SWM), the members of SRCS have placed Environmental Ed-
Teaching aids for the cotton spinning class
ucation at the top of their priorities list since founding the organisation in 2002. They believe that many of the destructive habits that occur in the South Rupununi such as overharvesting, pollution, habitat destruction and more, could be addressed by such education. Meanwhile, SWM is an African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States initiative, which aims to tackle the issue of overhunting of wild meat Last January, the group started up the traditional knowledge classes following a visit to eight communities in Central and South Rupununi to speak with Village Councils about how best the children could’ve benefited from the courses. The lessons are being done at the discretion of the Village Councils and all COVID-19 protocols are observed. The villages are Kumu,
Shulinab, Sand Creek, Katoonarib, Sawariwau, Aishalton, Maruranau and Shea. After the consultations, it was decided that each village would select three skills that they wanted their youth to learn and then identify three persons in the village who would teach these skills. Miller and another SRCS member, Alyssa Melville, then held eight separate workshops in the communities and helped the resource persons to design the lesson plans, set schedules, decide on the students for the classes and collate lists of materials that they would need. The skills selected were cotton spinning, basket weaving, arrow making, cow skin crafts, Wapichan language, Macushi language, storytelling, leather marking, traditional medicine and woodwork. SEE PAGE XIII
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
Blossom’s Spotlight Initiative on a mission to eliminate violence against women -Several training sessions conducted in Region One
By Indrawattie Natram PERSONS living in Matthew’s Ridge, Region One are now better advocates and gatekeepers in the field of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) that they have received access to training sessions from Blossom’s Spotlight Initiative. The group in November 2020 in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations (UN), and the European Union started a project which sought to eliminate violence against women and girls in Guyana. According to Education and Awareness Officer for Spotlight Project in Matthews Ridge, Arlyne Ramdatt she said that Matthews Ridge in Region One, and Waramadong in Region Seven, are currently target communities for the project, and as such the team has been working tirelessly to localise campaigns, advoca-
cy, sensitisations, awareness, and training. Ramdatt along with fellow Education and Awareness Officer at Blossom Inc, Joses Solomon, are making several impactful trips into the communities. Engagements In January 2021, Ramdatt and Solomon conducted their first outreach to Matthew’s Ridge where 22 persons within the community were trained in practical skills in managing gender-based violence (GBV) in their community. Ramdatt said the trip also saw the establishment of a local group of volunteer gatekeepers who are currently certified. The group which named itself “HAMZA” engages youths to be advocates and to support their peers. They also act as protective elements against their exposure to factors related to GBV in their communities. During the interview
with both Ramdatt and Solomon, they said they intend to sustain the project and as such, they returned in March 2021 to engage the group and community of Matthew’s Ridge. The visit coincided with the observance of International Women’s Day where several events for the week were planned. The events rolled out from March 23- 28. On March 23, a community walkabout was facilitated with the help of community Volunteer Alana Tang. During that outreach, posters were distributed highlighting Safe Spaces within the community, advocating against g e n d e r- b a s e d v i o l e n c e , and the numbers to referral systems in which reports can be made as well as interacting and receiving reports from locals. Simultaneously, Solomon, with the help of Officer David (only name is given), conducted a Community beautification initiative with Blossom Youths. The youths’
Participants from a two-day training held at Matthews Ridge in Region One
During one of the interactive sessions
Education and Awareness Officers at Blossom Inc, Arlyne Ramdatt and Joses Solomon
creative talents were utilised in the preparation for International Women’s Day. Other Spotlight Initiative events facilitated by Ramdatt and Solomon included a community conference on March 25 held in collaboration with representatives from the Regional Dem-
ocratic Council (RDC) in Region One, the Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC), UNICEF, United Nation, EU, and Spotlight coordinator for Guyana and Suriname. At the conference, local frontline workers, community leaders, parents,
and secondary school students had the opportunity to discuss their concerns surrounding Gender-based Violence in their community. The training aimed to collaborate, educate, and help mobilise persons within SEE PAGE XV
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
Earth Day in Focus Worldwide EVERY Year on April 22, the World observes “International Earth Day”. This year, the focus of the observance was “Restoration of Earth”. Meanwhile, Pepperpot Magazine spoke with a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency who explained that Earth Day is recognised by a number of non-Governmental and Governmental Agencies. LaDonna Kissoon, a representative of the EPA, during an interview noted that in this 51st year observances, the EPA along with other agencies used their platforms to bring awareness to the public and interested persons about the importance of the environment and the essentiality of its services are to us as a people. “ So over the years, we have zeroed in on things like Climate Change, Deforestation, Forest Fires, we have looked at endangered species, these are all views we would have taken over the 51 years regarding Earth Day and bringing around all those things,“ Kissoon told Pepperpot Magazine. She noted that in commemorating the occasion, the EPA would have planted trees and a lot of work was done with schools around the country. Despite the pandemic, the EPA is still engaging in doing work with students to mark this important day. Kissoon said that as a result of the pandemic, the Agency has received several complaints relating to the
fact that people are more environmentally conscious, as a result, there are practising more and listening more to be able to deal with issues that affect the earth. But as noted the Earth preservation would be affected by issues such as defor-
with deforestation and land degradation increasing at an alarming rate to satisfy man’s desire for wealth, but it has also been happening through natural disasters such as the forest fire that would have occurred in the Amazon, and in Australia.
rich biodiversity and ecosystem,” Kissoon told Pepperpot Magazine. According to Kissoon, the focus this year is on insects. “We really take for grant the importance of insects especially as it relates to
estation, the representative noted that this activity has a major impact on the earth’s perseveration. “So that has had a major impact and continues to have a major impact,
Because of these events, the organisation is pushing and would coordinate the theme for Earth Day this year. It focuses on areas such as deforestation and thus would have an impact on Guyana’s
bees, the importance of bees on our livelihood,” Kissoon was quoted as saying. The theme “Restore Our Earth” focuses not only on the need to reduce our impact on the planet as we
recover from the effects of COVID-19, but also on how we can play a role in repairing the damage we have done. The theme is in keeping with the UN International Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and includes three days of climate action organised by global environmental organisations, including EARTHDAY.ORG, and a virtual summit on 22 and 23 April to highlight the urgency for stronger climate action. The event will be live-streamed because of the pandemic. The Environmental Protection Agency in Guyana has planned a week of activities to commemorate Earth Day with a focus on bees, including webinars, radio and television interviews, a radio quiz, and competitions for children. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit. epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel. The history of Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, when a United States Senator from Wisconsin Gaylord Nelson proposed the first nationwide environmental protest to shake up the political establishment and to put the issue on the national agenda. This information is according to a Facebook post
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on the history of the observances of Earth Day. The post further detailed that “Earth day achieved a rare political alignment, thus enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labour leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. Sen. Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder. As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders asked Denis Hayes to organise another big campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilising 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues on to the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Although Earth Day was founded by Senator Nelson, the name was coined by an advertising executive called Julian Koenig, who was also responsible for some famous marketing catchphrases, such as “Timex, it takes a licking, but keeps on ticking”. SEE PAGE XII
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
Half-Mile Village A scenic place with industrious people
Half Mile Village (Carl Croker photos)
By Michel Outridge THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited Half Mile, Wismar, Linden which is in Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice). This village is between Silvertown and Canvas City and it is a fairly large community with a four-corner where there are many shops, food places, a tailor, a joinery
Focus
shop, barbershops, a salon and many other small businesses. Half Mile Village goes uphill and downhill and it is a community with good roads, electricity, potable water supply, and internet and cable services. Like most villages in the region, the cry for help is job creation and many young people, who have completed
on the Village
Desmond Welcome called Pin-Head
secondary schools and university are without work as such, they have become idle with little or nothing to do. This trend is very worrying for parents and elders, who have expressed their concern in having the young people engage in meaningful activities in the community but in some villages, there SEE PAGE XIX
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
The resourceful women of Half Mile Village
By Michel Outridge
LIKE most women, everywhere, the ones in Half Mile, Wismar, Linden are making the most of their time by using their skills to earn. Sacha Skeete is a mother
with the place,” she said. Skeete reported she would always long to come home where she enjoys the peace and quiet of Half Mile Village. “Doing this job as a frontline worker isn’t easy because although you have the
year March when the novel Coronavirus came to these shores. Skeete is an outdoor person, who would enjoy trips with her children but these days they have to remain indoors. She told the Pepperpot
- Utilising their talent to earn
Brenda Bowman displaying her home-made coconut oil Latoya Semple and her sister, Sacha Skeete (Carl Croker photos)
of three and she is working with the Region 10 COVID-19 Testing Team and is stationed at Bamia Outpost where she is tasked with testing the temperature of motorists entering Linden. She is also a beautician, who works from home doing hair, nails, and eyebrows and just about everything when it comes to make-up. The 37-year-old has a salon in Barbados but with the pandemic globally she returned home to work and be closer to her family. Skeete is a resident of Half Mile Village and is one of the friendliest person you will meet, she is very chatty and cheery. She often travels a lot but during this unprecedented time, she chose to be at home. “No matter where you go overseas there is no place like Guyana because I does miss going to street corner and get an egg ball with sour and all the other features that comes
gears for the work, some people make it difficult because they don’t want to get tested and they would use indecent
Magazine they are making themselves lively at home doing many things to pass the time.
Demerara Hospital and is on the night shift. During the day she would take care of her five children before going to work at nights.
Hannah, the ‘islander’
language and display a deviant behaviour,” she said. She started the job last
Meanwhile, her sister, Latoya Semple, is an auxiliary staff attached to the Upper
Focus on the Village
The 32-year-old stated that she has been at the job for the past two years and likes it because she is coping well. She is also a hairdresser and would assist her sister whenever she has an influx of customers to do hair and nails.
Hannah, the islander The Pepperpot Magazine also met Hannah (only name) who is 81 years old and is originally from St. Lucia but was invited to visit Guyana by her brother in 1961. He was living in Half Mile, Wismar and she came and never went back to St. Lucia because she grew up, got married and settled in the village. The mother of three reported that she is one of many Caribbean people who left their countries and came to live in Half Mile. Things were going well for Hannah until her husband died in an accident in 1988 and she had to seek employment and she worked for 13 years before she retired. Today, Hannah is living with her children grown and she has a nice house that sits on a hill in Half Mile Village and she tends to her plants and garden. Brenda Bowman The team also encountered Brenda Bowman, who took the time out to take us around the village to meet people. She is 60 years old and came to Half Mile since she was just two years old and it is home for her, she has a house uphill and she is comfortable.
Bowman is well-known and does many things to earn. She would pick the dry coconuts in her yard and make coconut oil to sell and buy mangoes and make mango achar and does the same with pepper to make pepper sauce. These locally made products would be sold in the community and reasonably priced depending on the size of the bottle. Bowman is also a landscaper and has a brush cutter she would use to weed the yards of customers, mostly villagers. She is originally from Liverpool Village, Corentyne, Berbice but her parents relocated to Half Mile when she was just a child. For Bowman, Half Mile is home, a place she loves and even formed a youth group where she volunteers her time to assist youths, whose minds are troubled. The Youth Group is called ‘Exhale’ and they have 17 members but due to the pandemic all face to face meetings have been cancelled and they are only meeting via Zoom. Bowman used to be a Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) worker but that project was suspended.
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
The village elders are contented with the quiet and peaceful life
By Michel Outridge
CARLYLE Mason, Peter Mc Almont and Mortley Doris would meet up at the “Chill Spot” outside of Mason’s residence in Half Mile Village every day to sit and chat about many things, under a shed, where there is a large shady tree. They are pensioners living out their golden years in the community they call home even though they came from different villages in search of work and settled in Half Mile. Mason told the Pepperpot Magazine that he came to Half Mile Village in 1958 in search of work. He was a woodcutter and he was squatting in the jungle-like area back then. The 82-year-old added that he had a small house he lived in and also was renting a house and years on, he managed to construct a house after he was given a plot of land. Mason stated that back then, the place had large trees which were cut down for a housing scheme and they used to cut trees with rip-saw and he would sell wood to others and that’s how he earned then. The senior citizen reported that it was then President Cheddi Jagan who visited
the community and gave out land titles and in 1964, the then President Linden Forbes Burnham visited and gave out large lands to residents for farming. He remembered it clearly as if it was yesterday, it was three cents per square foot for the land to farm and whoever had money bought the lands quickly. Mason added that they were told to erect temporary houses until they received their land titles and the village was developed with roads, drains and other facilities. He is originally from Buxton, East Coast Demerara and left his home village in search of work when the aluminium plant was in operation things were lucrative in the mining town. Mason said when he first came to Region 10 he used to reside at la Harmonie, Demerara River and he went on to become a woodcutter and relocated to Half Mile Village. The elder pointed out that he never worked with the bauxite company but also felled trees to make Wallaba posts which he sold. The father of seven is retired and during the day he would tend to his meat birds of 100 which he would pluck and sell and does buy eggs to sell, as well.
The village seniors added that during his days of felling trees, he had an accident in which a large pinned him and he had his damaged left leg amputated more than 70 years ago. The leg was crushed and there as nothing medical
Carlyle Mason
The village elders under their shed at their “Chill Spot” in Half Mile, Wismar, Linden (Carl Croker photos)
professionals could do to save the leg and it was amputated from just above the knee and he is today aided by crutches. Mason told the Pepperpot Magazine that their “Chill Spot” is considered parliament for them because they would discuss everything under the sun even politics and whatever else is trending after reading the newspapers. His friends, Mc Almont, 79 and Doris, 65, would meet in the morning and take a break for lunch and would return to the spot and stay there up until nightfall.
Mason stated that it is there place to sit and talk and they would also see who is passing by and greet residents, they are a fixture in the community and their meetings are quite normal. “ We a r e p e n s i o n e r s and we find things to do to keep busy even though we worked most of our lives but you know what they say us old folk have to continue to work to stay active and we would meet here to gaff and nothing is wrong with that,” Mason said. Mason and his friends however, seem contented with their lives which they
describe as okay and they are very happy to be basking in relative peace and quiet of Half Mile Village. These elders are well-respected in the community and well-known because of their meeting spot and people are accustomed to see them under the shed every day so when they don’t meet up people get worried. The meetings will however, continue according to the trio, who are very chatty and would even reminisce on yesteryear, the black and white days when they were young and fresh.
Focus on the Village
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
The village joiner Keeping a dying trade alive
By Michel Outridge DESMOND Williamson is the village joiner and he has a workshop on Winifred Gaskin Highway where he spends a lot of time making custom-made furniture for his fellow residents at an affordable cost.
mother hosted at her house and it was something to look forward to, back then. The joiner added that he and another resident Desmond Welcome called “Pin Head” used to host the annual Half Mile Town Day for three years in a row but when the pandemic hap-
inclined to learn but he is willing to have some youths in the community be trained at his shop free of cost. It is his way of giving back to society and is always willing to assist the young people of Half Mile Village to be equipped with a trade that they can earn.
Focus on the Village
The 64-year-old would make quality furniture as if it was bought from the store and for that he always has more work than he can actually take on. He is a resident of Half Mile, Wismar, Linden but is originally from Ithaca Village, West Bank Berbice. He has been residing in Half Mile since he was 10 years old, his mother is from the village and his grandmother, who was noted for hosting many Christmas parties called “Baby Party” annually. Williamson told the Pepperpot Magazine that all the grown-ups know about that Christmas parties his grand-
pened all celebrations were cancelled until further notice. In place of the Half Mile Town Day, Williamson will organise prizes for a raffle so the people of Half Mile Village can benefit from quality furniture which includes a wardrobe. He disclosed that the joinery shop is in existence for the past 16 years and it is only one of its kind in the community and he is qualified in woodworking and technical drawing and has all the tools necessary for the job. Williamson realised that joinery is a dying trade and most young people are not
Even though his doors are open to the youths or whoever wants to learn they are not coming but he will wait until they do. The father of five reported that he has plans to renovate his workshop and make it into a store where he can store ready-made furniture for sale because he will relocate his workshop in Amelia’s Ward where he has more space. Williamson has an eightacre plot in Amelia’s Ward where he is has a cultivation of citrus and will have his furniture workshop. The joiner added that he has some bananas with 23 pear trees and he will soon
The joiner, Desmond Williamson (Carl Croker photos)
develop a breadfruit farm. “I always have work to finish and I am always fully booked yet I take on more
Desmond Williamson in his workshop
work when people come to the workshop and even now I am building some cupboards and other pieces
of furniture for my fellow villagers,” he said. SEE PAGE XII
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
Fostering development within Half Mile Village -The Community Development Council willing to develop meaningful partnerships
By Michel Outridge SAMUEL Sampson is the Chairman of the Community Development Council (CDC) and he is doing a lot of volunteer work to develop the community especially for the young people to become engaged in skills training and sports activities. He told the Pepperpot Magazine that in Half Mile Village they have no sports facility nor ball field for the children and youths to play games but they would utilise the community ground at Silvertown. Sampson added that that is one of their biggest challenge in the village but as CDC Chairman he wants to give the young people and
for youths and children to go but he is still awaiting word from the authorities. Sampson stated that Half Mile Village has more than 1,000 residents and most people are self-employed because of the scarcity of jobs and they have established small businesses that are trying to survive in that cash-strapped community. He noted that the village is relatively large and most people want a little shop but what that community needs is more than just little shops. “We need job creation to earn because financially we are stagnant so, with all these little shops, they are vying to survive because the money is not circulating and the lives of the people need to be enhanced,’ he said.
of the small businesses are food shops and they would open in the afternoons and maybe sell a few boxes of food and that alone cannot keep the business opened. Sampson told the Pepperpot Magazine that the village is trying to survive but the standard of living needs to be elevated and people need grants to start varying businesses that will create employment. “Right now is share hustle going on here with all these small shops and will not last because it is not very profitable to provide employment for others,” he said. Sampson reported that the CDC was formed last year November with 11 executive members and 60
CDC Chairman Samuel Sampson (Carl Croker photos)
Samuel Sampson’s food business on Winifred Gaskin’s Highway, Half Mile, Wismar, Linden
children somewhere to go and spent time in games and sports activities. He disclosed that a plot of land was identified for a community centre ground and the proposal was submitted to the Linden Town Council and they will construct a basketball court. That will be a safe space
In Half Mile the majority
members of the community.
He revealed that he has approached the Board of
Industrial Training (BIT) to empower young people in the village and has on board a local tailor, the joiner, mechanic to take on some of the youths and teach them a skill. Sampson added that in Half Mile whatever resources the people have they are putting it to use but they need more to have long-term benefits. “We walked around the community and went house to house to find out the immediate needs of the people due to the pandemic and we have heard them but we can’t go back because there is little we can offer them at this time and most things done are through self-help efforts,” he said. The Village Leader reported that a lot of young people have completed their secondary education and are without jobs as such, they are doing all kinds of things in the village and that is a worrying trend.
Focus on the Village
He added that they need an outlet, a place to go and things to do to occupy their time or else they will go astray and the community can ill afford that right now. Sampson is one of the persons in the village, who has a food business, a night operation at Winifred Gaskin Highway where he sells fish, chips and chicken wings. He stated that since the CDC was formed they have embarked on a community enhancement project to clean drains in the village and 28 persons benefitted and earned a one-time payment of $20,000 each. Sampson pointed out that they welcome more community-based projects where the locals can benefit and is willing to partner with non-governmental agencies to foster development within the village. He noted that there are some farmers in Half Mile Village but it is mostly a backyard venture because they do not have land space to go large scale. Sampson added that the farmers need more land investment and additional assistance to widen their scope on farming in that community.
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
The increasing inclusion ... FROM PAGE II playwrights to focus on at this time. The answer is from the theatre-goers of Guyana who turn up in large numbers to such plays. There is, of course, the way in which many members of the audiences react to plays of this genre. Many would giggle or laugh at the most dramatic scenes in a play. Scenes, which for more discerning theatre-goers, would garner rapt attention, sometimes even tears. Viewing a play at the National Cultural Centre a few years ago, there was a scene in which a male character was raining blows on a female character, and seated behind me was a mature woman who was laughing her head off. For safety, there are rules about the use of a gun in a
play. For example, “Never point a gun directly at the actor playing the victim.” There is a technique of how that can be done to make it look real from the perspective of the audience. Many toy guns are now manufactured to look like real guns, and a tragedy can occur if a switch is made with a real (loaded) gun. One must be extra careful when a gun is an item of ‘property’ for use in a shooting scene of a play. Some playwrights would never write a scene in a play in which an active shooting takes place on stage before the audience. That is so not only for the safety of the actors but also for the safety of the audience. There is that saying, “Prevention is better than cure.” People go to the theatre for entertainment, excitement and education. Theatre rules were made
over the centuries by those who have had long years of experience, and who plan and direct performances in a way to have zero possibility of a serious or worse yet, a deadly accident. Many of the more recent plays focus on domestic violence set in working-class homes. The plays by Shakespeare, are set in palaces and mansions, which are far removed from the living standards of the average Guyanese. The tools of violence are also far removed; with the exception of daggers and poison. The current situation begs the question of whether audiences are really comfortable with such plays. The fact is, many members of audiences tend to react to violent scenes with laughter. Some commentators claim that it is a Caribbean thing. In many instances, scenes of violence,
including gun violence are played for humour. In real life, gun violence, especially those which are deadly, bring grief and sadness and is of concern to the average citizen. Now let us turn the clock back to the last National Drama Festival which was held in 2017. The majority of the plays which were staged were violent based - Domestic violence and lots of gun violence, most of which was played out in front of
the audience. The violence was extremely graphic and gratuitous and seemed to be played for its shock value, much seemingly extracted from Shakespeare’s playbook of violence in plays. A further question to be asked is whether the gun culture of the recent past has in any way influenced the younger Guyanese playwrights. Is art imitating life with the plays now being written? Do brides actually include a gun in their
XI wedding attire? And if so, would that bride actually shoot her loving groom, when someone attending the wedding makes an allegation as the couple is about to exchange marriage vows? While it is the political objective to “Eradicate lawlessness and gun crimes” as stated by Minister Robeson Benn, is gun violence in more recent plays the objective of Guyana’s younger playwrights?
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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
The village... FROM PAGEIX Desmond Williamson’s workshop
Elva Hicks Meanwhile, the Pepperpot Magazine also met Elva Hicks, 91, who is a resident of Half Mile Village. She is the mother of seven, most of whom resides overseas and does her own cooking, cleaning and goes to the market for shopping. These days Hicks is stricken with high blood pressure and would leave home on her good days to make the necessary purchases. She is originally from Belfield Village, East Coast Demerara and while working in the city, she met a young man from Linden with whom she developed a relationship and began living in Linden. She got married and had children and stayed in Half
Mile where she had a shop but as she advanced in age she closed it because it got too much for her. Hicks has been residing in Linden for more than 50 years and she would often go to the health centre to get her routine medical checkups. The senior citizen said she is pleased to be alive and often struggles to keep her hypertensive condition in check and would eat a lot of provisions and soup since the rice is too heavy for her. “I spend a lot of time indoors and I am contented to be that way but the neighbours and relatives would check on me often and they do come by,” she said. She used to be fond of gardening but due to old age, she had to give up that hobby.
Earth Day in... FROM PAGE V As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focused on global warming and a push for clean energy. Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. For 2000, Earth Day had the Internet to help link activists around the world. By the time 22 April rolled around, 5,000 environmental groups around the world were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries.
CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 25, 2021
Rupununi youth get ...
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FROM PAGE III Each village selected 30 students for their lessons, totalling 240 students across the eight villages. The 30 students were split into groups of 10 and for the first six weeks, each group attends one class per week where they learn one skill and by the end of the six lessons, they make small crafts like a baby-sized hammock or sling, an arrow, or basket. After six weeks, the groups rotate to the next skill and the teacher teaches the same six lessons to the new group. Once the groups complete all three skills (18 classes), SRCS is hoping to hold an exhibition class in each village where the students can showcase what they have learnt to the rest of the village. This will however depend on COVID-19 restrictions. The lessons are currently scheduled to run until June 2021. Beyond June The SRCS is hoping to be able to secure additional funding for the classes to be continued beyond June 2021. “We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the classes. Due to funding, we were only able to implement the project
in eight villages. However many other villages have approached us asking to start the project in their village,” Miller noted. Persons seeing what are being produced as a result of the classes, online and otherwise, have been expressing an interest in purchasing the items, so the SRCS has been working on ways to make this happen. The SRCS may possibly be able to add some business classes to the project so that the students can learn the basics of how to sell their crafts if they want to and is inclined to work with local businesses to create a market that the children and resource persons can sell to. “I think there is a significant demand for these crafts; it is just a case of connecting them to a market and to equip them with the skills to create and properly manage their own small business. Of course it is not possible for very young children to do this by themselves, but one of our ideas is that each community could set up their own craft group that would share in the profit and anyone could join and contribute,” Miller offered.
Two girls with their completed hammocks in Maruranau Village
Uncle Theodore Edwards teaches young girls how to craft wood in Maruranau Village
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DOES HAVING EMPHASIS ON YOUNG WOMEN IN TROUBLE, ECLIPSE THE INTEREST OF THE SAME WITH YOUNG MEN? - ACDA’s Essay Winners
LAST week I attended the presentation of the finalists of the youth essay competition for Black History Month past, sponsored by ACDA, there were nine finalists, eight females, and one male- the winner was a female. Over the years I’ve observed school debate compositions on and off, and have witnessed a constant rise in females, even to a dominant ratio. There’s nothing wrong with this. I’m one of the fathers who insisted to my daughters that their interests as children must not only revolve around dolls and dollhouse games. I even took offense some years ago with a female relative who objected to having my last daughter watch ‘Schindler’s List’ which that person referred to as a “man movie”. My child did close her eyes when the brisk little girl in the orange-pink coat, (the movie was black and white-greyscale, this was an insert for effect that fulfilled its purpose) was seen in a human pile of murdered civilians, executed by the Nazi forces- her coloured coat unavoidable in the greyscale setting of the scene. But my daughter did open her eyes, we discussed it then and have discussed it over the years, then she went back and played with her Bratz dolls. So far she is no less female but much wiser about the world we live in, which does not discriminate in its
savagery based on gender or age, or in directing the focus of its bigotry. That males are in a crisis should hardly be a debate on the ‘Ifs’ rather it should be on what has transpired to socially derail the cultural values that worked before. It would seem that areas of those previous value systems lacked a coherent vein to sustain continuity, and evolve against the challenges of inevitable changing times. The first thing is, writing an essay is a challenge that requires research, but before that, a perspective on the subject must exist. The research eliminates aspects of the perspective that are rooted in misinformation, stereotypes etc. Research requires credible sources, not Google exclusively, thus, there must be a link that knows, or is aware of someone who does, to point the way. What then is feeding the imagination of youth? This question is the crucible; to answer we must first recognise what has changed, what is lost, and the simple proven methods that we have taken for granted that are no longer positively exploited. For example, we all have fluid imaginary friends, a character of fiction, a statesman, a musician, athlete, or historical personality that we quote for emphasis in respect to this or that SEE PAGE XXVIII
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Blossom’s Spotlight Initiative on a... FROM PAGE IV the community in addressing and managing Gender-based violence (alongside other forms of violence and abuse). “Special recognition must be given to the European Union who has been a major donor of funds to the UN to embark on the Spotlight Initiative (a global initiative) that will see Guyana benefitting from this 3-year funded program aimed at eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls,” Ramdatt said.
Participants at one of the conferences held in Matthew’s Ridge
Region One chairman Brethnol Ashley said he was very thankful for all the training that was conducted in his region. Ashley said he welcomes the approach by Blossom Inc. to sensitise and equip persons in the community with skills to manage Gender-based violence. He commended the work done so far in the Matthew’s Ridge community and encouraged Spotlight Initiative to expand its operations to other communities within the region that are affected by many social ills. The Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman Orlando Thorn
also extended gratitude to the Spotlight Initiative for choosing his community. Blossom Inc.’s Spotlight Initiative take the opportunity to promote and encourage all Guyanese choose to challenge and the prevention of violence against women and girls in our communities. If you see something, say something. For safe spaces and to make reports of gender-based violence, please contact: Blossom Inc. at 233-6701, the Counselling Hotline at 914, and/or the Child Protection hotline at 227-0979
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UNDER THE POUI TREE ONE spring when blossoms, birds and gushing streams; the exquisite splendour of nature fashioned the earth, shadows like silent weeping, hung over the estate grounds of a small, private island deep in the tropic. Once, it was an ethereal place, sweetly serene, for there were two people there living a beautiful love story, and always it seemed like there were songs in the wind. Now the garden had become dark, its pristine beauty paled by sorrow and the songs of the wild were silenced. She, who was the sunshine and a symbol of grace, had left on a warm morning in April, whispering his name with her last precious breath. Fate in one sweeping moment has separated them and he was left alone, holding her cold hand. No more laughter, no excitement dancing in her eyes, no smile on her lips. “Why has this happened?” he had cried, “Why have you taken her away from me, dear Lord? How do I live now?” Life’s patterns from the beginning to the end are designs of fate. The defect in her heart became so bad, it left only one solution for her to continue living. She would need a heart
transplant. Her name was placed on a donor recipient’s list but she refused. She did not want another person’s heart, just her own to die with for she believed it was God’s will. She deeply believed in the miracle of prayers and she had assured him, “I will ask the Lord to send me back to you.” He had tried his utmost to make her understand the unlikelihood of that happening. “We are not living in a fairytale world, Anna. Please take the transplant so I won’t lose you.” She had taken his hand and said to him, “You knew about my condition before we got married, and you knew one day this might happen.” He nodded but somehow that had been at the back of his mind. “Then how come you’re not prepared to accept that this is my fate?” “Because I was hoping…” his voice trailed off. “Hoping for what?”
He looked at her, tears in his eyes and answered in a low tone, “A miracle.” She had smiled then, so sweetly, it took away for that moment the distress in his heart, and she had hugged him, saying, “My faith in the Lord is deep and I believe in miracles.” That fate she had held onto, and as she grew weaker and paler, he had spoken to their pastor in near desperation, but was advised, “You should respect her wishes Son, and let her go if she accedes to your wishes to live with someone else’s heart. It may not make her happy and the love you share will suffer.” “Do you believe miracles can happen, Father?” he had asked, torn between his wife’s beliefs and his doubts. “Once you believe, it can happen.” Sean had sighed deeply and shook his head. He had hoped for a miracle through prayers, that could have ensured she lived a long life despite her heart condition, but not the miracle she believed could happen.
Photo by Serge Chriqui
A gloomy day it had been when her funeral service was held, a day when even the leaves seemed to shed tears and the flowers bowed their heads. He had lifted her and laid her on a flower bed under the pink Poui tree that was in full bloom. It had been her wish, for it was a place in the garden she loved the most, where she would sit and read, the pink blossoms from the tree falling on her dark hair. Time went on after her burial in the church grounds, seasons changing as he lived each day with her beautiful memories – all he had left. “As much as I want to believe in a miracle, Lord, he had said with deep sadness, “There is some doubt in my mind because I don’t see how it’s possible for her to return to me.” In the Central American country of Belize, a young womSEE PAGE XVII
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UNDER THE POUI .... SEE PAGE XVI
Photo from Redthil.C
an hurried to school through the rain. She was a teacher, dark-haired, fair and beautiful with a warm personality. Her name was Sarah, and teaching was something she loved; taking her young students each day on journeys of learning, adventure and fun through books. And because of her love for historical romances with Kings, Queens and palaces, her friends often teased her, “Have you found your prince as yet?” Always she would laugh and say, “One day, maybe.” That night, as she laid in bed, she wondered, “Will I find someone with princely qualities? Does he wait for me somewhere?” Not sure of the answer, her eyes closed in sleep and
in her dreams, a voice asked, “Do you believe in miracles?” “Yes,” she answered, “Why?” No answer and the dream vanished. The next morning, she wondered about the strange dream but as the day proceeded with teaching, it disappeared from her mind until night when she laid down to sleep. That night her dreams took her on travels across the seas to a land of pristine rainforest, majestic waterfalls and exotic flora and fauna, then further to the coastland. She found herself in an expansive garden in astounding bloom, that was fascinatingly beautiful, but it was strangely quiet.
As she walked, she sensed an aura of sorrow and she wondered, “What happened here?” A little further in the garden, she stopped to look at the pink Poui tree in brilliant bloom, the ground beneath carpeted in fallen blossoms, and standing a little away from the tree, was a man, his back turned to her. She gasped a little and he turned around slowly but the dream ended abruptly before she could see who he was and before he could see her. Sarah sat up, her heartbeat racing and after a short while when she could breathe easy again, she asked aloud, “What in God’s name was that?” To be continued…
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amazing women from the Women ogies. atch Radio NY requested an interim if it was okay for me to invite I am sharing some excerpts from
llips -- born in St Lucia, living in
being a Midwife of Purpose came broken, displaced, and s journey, I experienced a divorce, ot displaced on administrator’s position. Coupled wo major eclipses An eclipse happens when you can becomes greater than your current this process, you can transcend to a where you can connect with your as one with nature. orn in Guyana and living in NY have the real experience of dreamam world alive. I was immediately w with the agency where they tested Microsoft Office and typing speed.
Giving is beautiful as it is meaningful
One week later I completed my assignment with CTO and was now ready to move on to my next career move. I called Monique to let her know I was available as we agreed and she was so happy to have me start my first temporary assignment with Deutsche Bank. My first
assignment lasted two weeks, covering someone’s vacation. Due to my work ethic and desire to go the extra mile, I landed another assignment in the same department for six months, then another for three months, which finally led to my permanent position, allowing me to live a dream. Dr. Safeeya Mohamed – Trinidad We received the updates that the accident was horrific and that the victim was stuck in the car. The vehicle had to be cut open to get to the victim. It never occurred to me that my brother could be remotely involved. The next thing I remember, I was looking at the body of my brother covered in blood in a hearse. The strident, agonising scream of my mother in the A&E that early morning has not escaped my mind almost 17 years later as she howled “my son died, my son died, nobody’s helping us!” But nobody could, as his spirit departed at the point of impact. Up to this day, I ponder where the strength came from to navigate that night. Shanon Paar – Arizona
When I was six years old I started school in Mesa, Arizona, so I began staying with my mom and her husband routinely. It was like going from heaven to hell. It was a horror story that’s yet to be written. While at grandma’s I was filled with the love of a grandma and Jesus daily. On the other hand, at my mother’s house, I was filled with Rock ‘N Roll, drugs and inappropriate, wild sex parties. Ultimately, from such an environment you can imagine the kinds of abuse that mom’s house provided. When I was 11 years old, grandma Shirley died and my stepdad left. My mom had an emotional breakdown, so I ran away! I couldn’t take any more. Andrea Edwards – born in Guyana, living in Florida As I sat in the back of my dad’s Nissan Bluebird, I peered through the windows at the images on the fence of the Guyana Botanical Gardens and Zoological Park. The radio blasted the popular calypso song “1985” by a then-popular calypsonian. I would have just celebrated my sixth birthday, quite oblivious to the concept of time, but that song would not allow me to forget that it was 1985.
ONE day during March my friend Raquel Thomas Caesar came to visit and I was preparing gifts and hampers I knew that I would be in for women. My home was in total confusion because of big trouble if I told my dad all the items but saw peace and joy. She asked me “Why what had happened. It was a don’t you write about the joy of giving in your column?” secret: the She went on to say that what she admires most about me kind that could get me isinto the numerous livesI Ididn’t contribute to that are not public. big trouble. My friend Eion says that know how much trouble, to butme often. Maybe I just might doI wasn’t that because I truly enjoy giving and I am doing it willing to today. “Always give without remembering and always take a chance. “Shhhh... receive without forgetting.” I love these words by Brian Don’t tell anyone.” Tracy. My cousin told me a story about something that Maybe it’s the trauma of happened years but agofor and I still can’t remember. She said my experience, some she needed a minor surgery that her mom reason I stillmoney cannotfor rememcould not afford and without hesitation, I offered to pay ber how and Ioften did. itI inherited ability to give freely from my happened, my when mom Claudia certainly inherited it from gramit started, or and evenshe when it ma Winifred. My foster dad Allan John had the heart to ended give even more than me. They all found a way to bless others fromPhakahi the little–South they had. Back then I was not too Penny happy Africathat they were giving away the little we had but I am happy I havenow had for my that sharelesson of because it was nurturing my philanthropic journey. turmoil and I strongly believe They realise you don’t have a lot to give to that it ismade theseme stints of turothers. Sharing your moil that brought melunch with a co worker, or buying an extrathis loaffar of bread a neighbour or cutting the grass for the in myfor life. I was seniors in your is community and so many other small things. and perhaps still in my I refinery know ofprocess. people that paid for courses for others and that was the As positive a youngturn girl,inI their grewlives. you one havemain ever ambition, bought an outfit from me you have asupIfwith sisted me totogive big part of it went to help others. wanting getbecause away, afar awayI from thesame system of my books and courses so if you Now do the with thinking the box buy one of myor books fromthat Austin’s Books Services or from weyou often ourselves in. me are find making a contribution indirectly. Part proceeds Apart understanding from thefrom last virtual Writers Retreat went towards personal myself I always care packages thatdared wereto distributed not only in Georgetown be different, was That a but other parts ofwhich Guyana. retreat is in collaboration constant struggle when with Claudia Vidal and shesurdid not hesitate when I discussed rounded by mycontribute. situations. I would like to acknowledge that we should grew up persons under a strict the other and businesses who contributed to this Christian family with my Trotz, Mary Kay Consultant, meaningful initiative: Monica grandfather step granny, Vanda Radzik,and Matthew Langevine, Raquel Thomas Caesar, as myDaniel, motherAnn lostKingston, her momRawle Jordan, Vintrice Simone Alicia SEE Mings PAGEProducts XXV and Services, Adams Trading, De Sinco, German’s Restaurant, The Period Box, Giftland and KVC Hotels. I did mention in a previous column the persons who contributed to the March projects. I know a few of the names mentioned above will call me if they read this column because they did not do it because it would be in the papers but is good to acknowledge people SEE PAGE XXIX
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Half-Mile Village... FROM PAGE VI are no facilities. This village is managed by the Community Development Council (CDC) and comes under the Mayor and Town Council of Linden. The village has a lot of internal streets which goes around the community and there are many nooks and
joiners, masons, painters, taxi drivers, mechanics, small business owners, welders, bauxite workers and other professionals. People use the taxis for short drops which is just $150 for a single drop and there aren’t many minibuses plying this route.
Head’ who is well-known and has a shop at the road corner for many years. The 58-year-old stated that he is originally from Seafield, West Coast Berbice but as a teenager he left his home village and came to Linden to attend the Technical Institute to learn a trade. After he graduated at age 16 years old, he became
Desmond Welcome’s shop
crannies in these parts. The village grows its own food and there is a lot of greenery like most villages in Linden, the people are noted to be environmentally friendly and have lots of plants, trees, fruits and vegetables in their yards. The people of this village do not buy coconuts since it is plentiful and it is everywhere. Half Mile Village is a scenic place where the breeze is cool despite the humid weather conditions and the people go about their daily routines in a quiet and peaceful manner. It is a place where there are many familiar faces because the people know each other and they live very neighbourly and look out for each other, as such as, visitors would no doubt be spotted instantly as they set foot in the village. The people are friendly yet reserved and are very observant but would not hesitate to dialogue no matter who you are in the interest of the community. The residents of Half Mile are teachers, nurses, and members of the disciplined services, skilled carpenters,
There is a nursery and a secondary school at the rear of this village and the nearest primary school is in the neighbouring village. The facilities of Silvertown are utilised for sports activities and the nearby health centres are frequented by the people of Half Mile. There are a few supermarkets and grocery shops where the villagers support and get their regular supply of groceries and other items that is necessary for the home. In this village, the residents are mannerly and would greet you while passing. It is this village there are a lot of islanders- people from the Caribbean countries- and people from Berbice who have made this place their home. A few of the islanders are still around while, some have passed away and others migrated but some Berbicians, in fact a lot are still residing in Half Mile Village. Desmond Welcome and his shop The Pepperpot Magazine met a villager, Desmond Welcome better known as “Pin
fascinated with Half Mile and decided to stay. He attended the Guymine Trade School and spend three years working with the company after which he left and went in the hinterland to work as a pork knocker. Welcome reported that at the same time, that was in 1983 he started doing a small business in the village, a shop which he has renovated over the years to an acceptable standard. The father of three added that he had the help of his then child mother and the small business developed over the years. Today, the business is still standing and it is a grocery shop with almost every little thing and the locals supports this business. Welcome was once a comedian and was featured in the local movie with the late Habeeb Khan titled “If Wishes Were Horses”. He is a friendly, downto-earth man, who resides in Half Mile and has good relations with the people. “I am here for the past 30 years or so and everybody knows me because of the shop and this is my home, a good place to be despite the challenges,” he
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The Timehri Film Festival (TFF) calls for submissions from local filmmakers THE Timehri Film Festival (TFF) is calling for Guyanese and Caribbean filmmakers to submit works that will be considered for showing at the upcoming 6th TFF from July 9-11. TFF is an annual Guyanese and Caribbean film festival that celebrates the work of Guyanese and Caribbean filmmakers in the region throughout the diaspora. This is the sixth year of the festival and this year’s event will be having screenings online. Socially distant, in-person screenings are to be decided, a statement from the TFF said and will be held as the pandemic and Covid-19 restrictions permit. We are looking for the best and brightest in Guyanese, Caribbean, and Caribbean Indigenous film to share with Guyana and the rest of the world. “Documentaries, narratives, animation, shorts and feature-length films are all welcome. The only requirements are that (1) your film is made in or about Guyana or by a filmmaker of Guyanese heritage; or (2) made in or about the Caribbean Indigenous communities, or by Indigenous filmmakers,”the statement said. Presented by Third Horizon, a Miami-based Caribbean media collective, and headed up by Festival Director Melissa Roberts, TFF has showcased many Guyanese films and filmmakers over the years. From Kojo McPherson and Stephon Bristol to Chelsi Odufu and Gavin Ramoutar. Who is the next Guyanese local or diasporan with a story to tell? Submit your film today for a chance to share your work with the world. We’ve extended the submission deadline to April 29, 2021. Head over to: filmfreeway.com/TimehriFilmFestival and submit your film today.
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A century of good will
Dharm Shala celebrates long, meaningful existence in Guyana By Jared Liddell THE Dharm Shala, one of Guyana’s most widely known charitable organisations celebrated 100 years of service to the Guyanese people on Wednesday. The Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) was formed by local jeweller Pandit Ramsaroop in 1921, and remained in the care of the Ramsaroop family for three generations as its humanitarian relief efforts continue. Managing Head and eldest granddaughter of Dharm Shala founder, Kella Ramsaroop called the achievement “praiseworthy” noting that she and her sisters get a sense of pride to be fulfilling her grandfather’s vision of providing humanitarian relief to those in need. Ramsaroop told this publication that her grandfather started the Dharm Shala as a soup kitchen to cater to the needs of persons who were in need, and continued working and expanding until he had created the Dharm Shala that not just fed and clothe but also housed persons in need. On its 100th year anniversary there are currently 11 buildings owned by the Dharm Shala at Albouystown and at the Canje Bridge in Berbice which
Managing Head of the Dharm Shala, Kella Ramsaroop
include housing facilities, two Hindu temples, two Christian Chapels and two medical dispensaries. “It started in 1921 by my grandfather who laid the foundation and he started with a soup kitchen, he was a jeweler and he used to take the jewelry he made into the villages to sell; he saw too many cases of destitution so with this in mind he decided to set up a soup kitchen in
the Albouystown area. This is where he’s from so I think he felt it only fitting to start his charitable arm here, and this is where we are until now,” said Ramsaroop. She explained that after some time, the soup kitchen’s audience grew excessively which led her grandfather to decide on a way to cater to the growing magnitude of persons. Ramsaroop partnered with several other
Pamela Ramsaroop
men and formed the Hindu Religious Society that would fulfill his aim of improving on the services that could be offered to the public. “After he saw that the organisation was reaching further and further my grandfather, who was heading the organisation said let’s name the organisation the Dharm Shala which means ‘home of benevolence for all races’, and I think he did this because he understood that
the work of the Dharm Shala was bigger than what he had initially envisioned, and he didn’t want anyone to not feel welcomed or that they didn’t have a place here,” Ramsaroop expressed. After the organisation was established, the members undertook the project to construct housing facilities for persons who do not have a place to stay. Ramsaroop stated that since the organisation was in its infancy
The Dharm Shala’s Albouystown housing facility (Delano Williams
donations remained minimal and so her grandfather took the decision to use monies he had made from his jewellery trade to continue the construction of the buildings. Ramsaroop noted that one of the first things her grandfather did was the construction of a temple since he was “a very religious man.” She stated that sometime after that he had the idea to construct a church so that persons who were Christian and at the Dharm Shala had the opportunity to observe their religious rituals; this led to the construction of the Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi. When Pandit Ramsaroop died in 1950, he passed the mantle to his eldest son, Harisaran Ramsaroop, who continued the work of his father. Harisaran was described as very devoted to his father and the organisation’s cause. He ensured that he understood his father’s vision and how he could play apart and improve on what his father started. “When my grandfather started this organisation the aim and objections were to feed and clothe the people and provide them with a stable environment for a period of time until they can get
SEE PAGE XXV
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EPA’S STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT MANUAL
DURING February, our columns focused on various aspects of public participation in environmental matters. Our column this week, takes a closer look at a manual created for developers, which serves as a guide for ensuring meaningful stakeholder engagement in development projects. This Stakeholder Engagement Manual was developed for projects requiring Environmental Authorisation in Guyana. This document complements the Environmental Protection Act, Cap. 20:05; Environmental Protection (Authorisations) Regulations, 2000; and Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) Guidelines 2020. Its purpose is to outline the procedure to be followed in the stakeholder consultation process for projects which requiring Environmental Authorisation from the Environmental Protection Agency, Guyana. This document also aims to ensure that the public is made aware,
consulted and engaged where necessary is provided with the opportunity to participate in the developmental process on a sustainable basis. The manual guides both categories of projects authorised by the EPA: EIA required and EIA not required projects. Moreover, the goal of the manual is: * To stimulate developers to work in tandem with the EPA; * To create a landscape that fosters effective participa-
tion, access to information, and inclusivity, one which would engender more equitable and transparent decision-making for sustainable development and evaluation of development projects. What is meaningful stakeholder engagement? SME can be defined as a process that captures the views, thoughts, and perceptions of people who may be affected by a development project or may have an interest. It is an ongoSEE PAGE XXVIII
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Dharm Shala celebrates long, ... FROM PAGE XXI back on their feet, and that’s what my father did, and that’s what we’ve continued to do till today. I remember my father used to go on foot to ask for donations from the business community, he used to go ask for rice sugar, and other food stuff so that people could be fed, just like his father he went above and beyond,” Ramsaroop said. Under the stewardship of Harisaran Ramsaroop, the previously constructed wooden buildings were refurbished into concrete structures to ensure that they could easily be modernised and upkept throughout the years; a complete reconstruction of the Berbice Dharm Shala was also undertaken during this time, with the addition of a Hindu temple and a Chapel. Harisaran Ramsaroop died in 2013, and following a family agreement, it was decided that Kella Ramsaroop and her younger sister Pamela Ramsaroop would take the reins of the organisation, leading like their father and his father before him. “Even now I continue the work the way my grandfather did it. I sometimes have to go into my personal account and take money to pay for the services or for some of the necessities for the organisation, but I know that that is how committed my grandfather and father were to charity and that has always been instilled in us so going into my pocket to help is normal to me,” said Ramsaroop. The Dharm Shala relies on the generous donations made to it by the members of the public as well as a $1.5M annual subvention from the government of Guyana; this caters to its 25 residents at the Albouystwown, and 40 at the Canje facilities. Kella further stated that she and her sister since taking over as the heads of the Dharm Shala have worked extensively, calling it a “24-hour job.” She noted however that although the job is one that is time-consuming, being able to impactfully change and improve the lives of the less fortunate has been a blessing in itself.
The Dharm Shala’s Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi
The Dharm Shala’s Hindu temple at Albouystown
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Accountability in medical care must be paramount
IN January 2019, an investigation conducted found that improperly administered drugs, that are used as part of the chemotherapy for children, led to the deaths of three children. Now, more than two years later, the disciplinary proceedings instituted against the doctors have not yet concluded. The three children who were receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for leukaemia, a form of cancer, lost their lives. Seven-year-old Curwayne Edwards succumbed on January 14; Roshani Seegobin, three, died on January 18 and Sharezer Mendonca, six, passed away on January 24. At a press conference on the matter, in March 2019, the then Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Boyle said, “It wasn’t a question of the dosage; the administration – in
terms of where it was administered – was done incorrectly. She later added, “One drug [Vincristine] was administered intrathecally [injected to the spine] when it should have been administered intravenously [or injected into the veins].” During the GPHC’s investigation, it was reported that the medical practitioners directly involved were relieved of their duties. The Guyana Chronicle reported that these practitioners were sanctioned by the hospital and placed before the Medical Board, pending disciplinary action. Additionally, it was reported that two of the families, reportedly, accepted compensation from the hospital, while the third is pressing ahead with legal action. For me, following the death of these children and the action taken subsequently, the need has been emphasised for greater levels of accountability in the medical sector. Simply, that means that practitioners must be obligated to accept responsibility for their actions (and in this case, malpractice). It is saddening and unsettling that, as the Stabroek News SEE PAGE XXVII
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Accountability in medical ... FROM PAGE XXVI
recently reported, these disciplinary proceedings have not yet concluded. What is worse is that the Chairman of the Guyana Medical Council, Dr. Navindranauth Rambaran told Stabroek News that there is no timeline as to when the hearings will be concluded. That article also noted that the Council has approached the Ministry of Legal Affairs for an overhaul of the sector’s legislation and regulations. During that meeting, the Council’s delegation had said that in its view the Medical Practitioners Act 1991 and the Code of Conduct and Standards of Prac-tice Regulations 2008 are “defective and toothless.” Again, it has been more than two years since these children died. While some actions have been taken to remedy the situation- including launching the investigation instead of dismissing the matter and subsequently, offering compensation to the families- the matter has not been entirely resolved. The incomplete nature of the situation is further evidenced by the decision of one of the families not to accept compensation but rather, take legal action. I, personally, do not believe that it is a case whereby the family is ‘out for blood’ or is trying to destroy the lives of the person(s) involved. Rather, I see it as the family just wanting to know that they can trust the healthcare system again, knowing that it allows for accountability. Now, the unfortunate mis-administration of drugs that led to the untimely death of Edwards, Seegobin, and Mendonca was not an isolated incident of malpractice. There have been several cases of medical malpractice (and alleged medical malpractice) reported in the public domain. There are several reported allegations of malpractice during childbirth. And, as recent as last week, it was reported that a woman’s leg was amputated after an accident at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. The patient claimed that she lost her leg due to the hospital’s negligence while treating her. At the time of writing this column, the news had only just surfaced and I expect that a thorough investigation would follow. Though accidents and mistakes do occur, we must never allow accountability to falter- especially when it deals with the quality of people’s lives and people’s lives. And I expect that if some malpractice was found, disciplinary proceedings would, again, be instituted. I am not heartless and unforgiving. Neither am I unaware that mistakes- even grave, fatal mistakes- do occur. It is for these reasons that I would emphasise that disciplinary actions should not amount to exacting any sort of revenge upon the medical staff involved. At the very least, however, it should make us hopeful that we have a system wherein accountability is paramount. For us to trust our healthcare system, we have to have the assurance that should something go wrong- in as much as we wish things wouldn’t go wrongthe people involved will be held irresponsible. If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com
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EPA’S STAKEHOLDER ...
FROM PAGE XXIV ing process with a series of events tailored to stakeholder groups and is an upfront investment that adds value to project planning and overall outcomes. Core values of quality stakeholder engagement
1. Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. 2. Public participation includes the promise that the public’s contribution will influence the decision.
3. Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognising and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers. 4. Public participation seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested
in a decision. 5. Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate. 6. Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way. 7. Public participation
communicates to participants how their input affected the decision. Best practices for meaningful stakeholder engagement Developers are encouraged to ensure that these actions are part of their stakeholder engagement activities 1. Early and continual involvement of stakeholders including identification of priority issues and providing prior information 2. Personalised approach to engagement – choosing appropriate methods, arrange meetings in advance according to stakeholder availability 3. Transparency in decision making 4. Open and honest communication – encourage sharing of ideas and open
dialogue during meetings 5. Development of a Grievance Redress Mechanism and a Stakeholder Analysis and Consultation Plan The Draft Stakeholder Engagement Manual will soon be available for public consultation and we at the EPA encourage all stakeholders to be involved in the process. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
DOES HAVING EMPHASIS ON... FROM PAGE XIV cultural value or definition of a social question that points to a credible human virtue. We have even embraced the wisdom attributed to characters that actors have brought to life, leaving a script writers narrative as a potent authority to be used as clarification and emphasise from our imaginary friendship with the character when necessary. Though Guyana is not without talents, they have never been challenged to capture specific social group experiences in stage or radio drama, comic strip or in Newspaper drama- episodes; void of embellishment, and rooted in experiences rather than presumptions, but with values and strengths that resonate the human ‘will’ to morph and transcend the stereotype, to which real parallels can be pointed to, should members of our over populated Criticising population-that differs from Critics of an idiom, step forward, we can suffice the public with real inspiration. Our youth, especially our young men are hooked on social media platforms and radio where the world beyond Guyana is the dominating interest. I traveled in a minibus recently where for almost an hour a radio conversation by ladies was conducted on American entertainment characters, the driver near me sucked his teeth and was about to turn it off when I asked him not to. I asked a young lady in the immediate seat behind if she was listening, she said yes. Nothing is wrong with this but there should be parallels and not the safe ‘don’t want to offend type’ but real stuff based on research. I have an example which I wrote about earlier, when some two years ago a Headmistress from a school in the old South Georgetown (from Hadfield Street to Le Penitence) through Elton Mcray, asked us, meaning the RESCU group to come and talk specifically to the males in her school, we did this to her satisfaction, because I knew the area, and its problems, which unfortunately are still active, and have not earned the intense attention input necessary for almost 100 years, which indeed requires a major push in finance and with ground knowledge, because in Guyana everything is diluted to the fate of failure because of the inclusion of politics and familiar friends (RESCU is a self-financed group that delivers engagements with youth on Drugs and lifestyles). We have got to put effort into our youth, male and female, in this case, emphasis is directed on our young men, or we will face angry young men in the near future, and from experience, they take different actions to angry young women. I say all these not to diminish or ignore the effects of the intense negative elder male societal influences, which I will dwell on, in a following article.
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Giving is beautiful...
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FROM PAGE XVIII when they do good. We still have many good things happening in the world but unfortunately most media prefer to highlight most of the bad depressing things. We also need people to contribute even if no one else will know but you, God and the people who benefit. Many times people need to know if the pic with their names will be in the papers or on TV in interviews etc. We need to be sensitive especially when giving food and personal items to people. Too many times you see pics on social media and the people are looking embarrassed. I am aware businesses require PR but the consciousness needs to be displayed. Many times I wish I could write a cheque to take care of all the philanthropic work I am a part of but that is not possible yet but will be in the near future God’s willing. Sometimes soliciting assistance can make you feel like a beggar and sometimes I feel it is deliberate. Can you call back next week and then the next week or I will call you back. Many times I say a prayer and
I call back because the people are in need. When we were doing the recent project, the owner of a janitorial service’s favourite day was Monday to make the contribution and Monday never came lol. Some companies also give things that they are not selling rather than things that are needed. What is your WHY for giving? Some of my colleagues are supportive and some think I invest too much time in charity work that does not earn
me money but I will continue until I expire. Many may not understand my passion for what I do but that is because I believe that I am fulfilling a purpose. “No one has ever become poor by giving.” I also believe that. A big thank you to the people who are finding joy in giving and I encourage you to make it contagious as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life
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GUYANESE WELCOME AMAYA MILK COMPANY AND RETURN OF FRESH MILK MILK is one of those foods with which consumers worldwide are concerned. They would like to know country of origin of imported milk products, a breakdown of the food components of the product, the price and above all the standard of the milk. Today, most of the milk consumed in Guyana is powdered milk of varying qualities. Until about 1970, fresh milk was in predominant use. There were a large number of small dairy farmers with usually ten cows or less settled in the villages in the vicinity of
Georgetown such as La Penitence, Ruimveldt and Bel Air. These farmers themselves delivered the milk and were the milkmen. Every morning, they would be cycling about the city with two large aluminium cans filled with milk delivering milk to customers or selling to the members of the public who would have called out to them,. In the countryside, the milkman would be walking about the village selling his milk or oftentimes, fellow villagers would call at his home to collect the milk they required. By the 1970s, the supply of
fresh milk began to dry up, especially in Georgetown since the farmers emigrated because of severe political and economic pressures and also because the Housing Drive began to take in all the open spaces in the surrounding villages as Ruimveldt, La Penitence and Bel Air and other open spaces used as grazing land. The population took to using powdered milk but just at this juncture, the country was afflicted with a severe foreign exchange shortage and could only sporadically import powdered milk. Owing to the foreign exchange shortage, only the cheapest, and accordingly, the lowest grade milk was imported. In these cheap milk, the dairy or animal protein was extracted and vegetable protein was used. The cheapest powdered milk was imported in 50-pound paper bags mostly from Ireland and Holland and it was this milk that was bagged off and sold in the markets and roadside stalls. In repacking milk, a sterilised room has to be used or the milk would be affected by bacteria which multiply at a rapid rate in milk products. In Guyana, there are no facilities to test milk to ascertain whether its protein is animal or vegetable or the percentage of such protein in the milk. During these years, consumers were forced to buy substandard milk at comparatively high prices. It, therefore, came as a very welcome and pleasant surprise when Go-Invest, a few weeks ago, announced that a Canadian Milk Company was investing in a plant to produce pasteurised milk in its first phase of development and that in its second phase, it would produce yogurts, flavoured milk and some cheese. The plant which is registered as Amaya Milk Company would be established at Onverwagt in Region 5, Mahaica-Berbice, a milk-producing area. The Memorandum of Understanding which was signed by Dr Peter Ramsaroop, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Go-Invest and Mr Omkaar Sharma, CEO of Amaya Milk Company has as its main clause that ‘Amaya Milk Company will establish a milk plant to process, bottle and sell high quality pasteurised cow’s milk in the Guyana market’. Mr Sharma pointed out that he would be bringing a great deal of personal experience and expertise to the project: “I have worked on milk plants in Canada, the US and the Caribbean Region and have always desired to put that knowlSEE PAGE XXXI
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GUYANESE WELCOME AMAYA... FROM PAGE XXX
edge and experience towards the development of the dairy industry in Guyana. . . It is wanting to provide nutritious milk and while the initial target will be the local market, as we grow, we are eyeing the regional market and hopefully, could reverse the trend of buying most of our dairy products from abroad. . . “ Mr Omkaar Sharma went on to say that he expects the machinery and equipment for the plant would be in the country by mid-May,2021 and he will then construct the building. “At Amaya Milk Company”, said Mr Sharma, “we will be producing fresh pasteurised milk in a state-of-the-art milk plant, utilising cutting edge technology, along with stringent quality standards, to produce milk of unmatched quality . . . We are expecting phase two of the project will commence in about two years. . . The challenge we have now is that we do not have enough milk to support a large facility but as we get up on the supply side to feed the plant, it will be expanded.” Dr Peter Ramsaroop, CEO of Go-Invest, remarked: “That Amaya Milk Company is seeking to establish its operations here in Guyana is indeed a pioneering move that is timely and relevant. This investment is precisely the kind we want to see coming from the Diaspora. . .One of our aims at Go-Invest is to foster Diaspora investment in the agricultural value chain in small and medium-sized agri-businesses”. Dr Ramsaroop then pointed out that there is still much room for other investors in the dairy industry: “We are looking for investors who will expand the industry in other parts of the country . . . the overall dairy industry is a lucrative market for investors and we expect to see more like this in the near future”. . . The Amaya Milk plant is important to Guyana in several ways: It is providing direct employment for scores of persons and indirect employment for hundreds of others, Dairy farmers would now be able to expand their farms and incomes. The Amaya investment will attract other investors and Dr Ramsaroop’s optimism that other investors will follow is justified. It will provide import substitution and save Guyana US $35 million foreign exchange drain. But probably the greatest benefit Amaya would have brought Guyana would be the replacement of the poor standard milk by fresh first quality and this would result in a healthier population with consumers getting value for money.
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THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Infidelity does believing, or in not consist in di consists in prof sbelieving, it essing to believe what one do es not believe. TOM PAINE (173 Age of Reason 7-1809) The (1794), pt. 1
APRIL 25, 2021 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Welcome, dear friend. Is your temporary study environment not helping you get along as well as customary? Temporary is never ideal, but it should not spell difficulty for you. Make it easy
on yourself. Work in short bursts. Be highly specific about what you are going to do, like summarising two pages of notes onto a revision card or some such activity which you can complete before interruptions by friends and family members. Be adaptable; let the study go on! Love you. WRITING Enhance your writing Reminder: When you write, you really need to evaluate your draft objectively, maybe drastically at times. What you can do is to lay it aside for a few minutes and then look at it again, this time asking yourself questions such as: 1. Is my writing interesting for my target audience? 2. Does it respond appropriately to the topic? 3. Is my dialogue doing its work effectively? 4. Is my use of language easy to follow? 5. What is it that I like best about my effort? 6. How can I make it better? When you are through checking and improving your effort, ask one study group member to spot any other problems. Let him look at: 1. Unity, where all sentences and details should support main ideas. 2. Coherence, whereby transitions connect ideas; and 3. Any other considerations. Caution: All young writers should aim to enhance and not deform their production during upgrades. What to Do: Find the recent draft of a short story, and then enhance its qualities to the best of your ability. GRAMMAR Choosing correctly Select the correct pronoun for each sentence. Be sure to add beside each sentence (in brackets), the reason for your choice. 1. For a small charge, we will install this monitoring equipment for (whosoever, whomsoever) asks us for the service. 2. Demetrius Stull is a parent (who, whom) everyone trusts to do the work of village crier. 3. Only three supervisors, Simon, Tommy, and (I, me)
have already completed the community policing training programme. 4. Gregory is very meticulous in his safety drive as (we, us). Have you noticed? 5. In my opinion, Eric Stoby and Jennifer King-Richards are as good in their reporting as (he, him). READING Making inferences Short story writers do not tell you everything there is to know about their characters, setting, and events. Instead, they leave it to you to make inferences, or logical guesses, about unstated information. *To form inferences, you must recognise details in the story and consider their importance. *As you study read, use a chart to record details that can help you make inferences. Directions: Read the selection. Then, answer questions 1-4. Mr. Jenkins began to speak at the business meeting. His hands shook so badly that he could scarcely hold his business cards. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He paused and took a sip of water. “I can do this,” Mr. Jenkins thought to himself. He took a deep breath and continued his presentation. In time, smiles appeared on the faces of the audience. When he finished his speech, Mr. Jenkins received enthusiastic applause. 1. Based on the passage, what can you infer about Mr. Jenkins at the start of his speech? A.. He is confused. C.. He is confident. B.. He is nervous. D. He did not write it. 2. What detail suggests that Mr. Jenkins was prepared for his speech? A.. He drinks water. C.. He takes a deep breath. B.. He is at a business meeting. D.. He has note cards. 3. What detail suggests that Mr. Jenkins is determined to succeed? A.. His audience smiles. C.. He encourages himself. B.. His hands shake badly. D.. He speaks in a low voice. 4. What can you infer from the round of applause from the audience? A.. They felt nervous
themselves. C.. The speech ended early. B.. The speech improved greatly. D.. They were glad the speech was over. THE TEXT The letter Here is a letter from a boy (much younger than your age group) to his mother. For the benefit of a rounded education, he had been sent to live on a farm with his aunt some distance from his home. Dear Mother, I am sorry that I am not able to get home before your birthday, but I am looking forward to seeing you then. Shall we have a party on that day as usual? I hope you will let me have a little of my money in advance so I can make some presents. I am very happy here now that I have gotten used to the strange surroundings. It seems so funny to me that when I get up to go to school everybody on the farm is already hard at work. They start very early, and sometimes wake me up. I don’t think I’ll be a farmer when I grow up, although I should like being out in the open air. The country round here is lovely. The other day a large combine came in to harvest paddy, because, as the farmer told me, he thought that later on the machine would be hard to get, and the paddy would spoil. Yesterday I helped him collect the eggs from the hens, and this morning I saw the little chicks out of their shells in the incubator. I am learning a lot of things about nature that I never knew before, and am enjoying myself immensely down here. I wish you could be here. Yours affectionately, Grosvenor NOTE: This is by no means a perfect letter, but it has very many good points which are worth considering following suit. a) Check his spelling and punctuation. b) The arrangement of what he had to say. c) His sensible paragraphing. d) His letter setting, and his ending as a young boy writing to his mother.
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Diabetes and oral health IN the same way that every Guyanese has a relative, a friend, or someone that lives in the United States, similarly, they know someone who suffers from diabetes. So, while I may not be able to give accurate statistics, judging from my professional experience, I know that diabetes is a condition that is common among the population. This condition is not a disease but a syndrome. A syndrome could be considered a group of diseases with a single cause. People who suffer from diabetes lack a certain type of hormone called insulin which is responsible for the body’s utilisation of sugar, proteins and fats. The consequence is that the diabetic usually experiences, bad heart, bad eyes, chronic weakness, muscular wasting and complications reflected in the mouth among other serious conditions. They frequently experience persistent thirst and their skin itch often. The oral symptoms are believed to occur more quickly and to be more severe in uncontrolled diabetes. Diminished salivary flow and burning mouth or tongue are common complaints. The area under both ears may swell due to concomitant enlargement of the parotid glands. Diabetics produce sugar in their saliva. This relatively high glucose content inevitably results in altered plaque and the normal types of bacteria found in the mouth. This state of affairs influences the development of gum disease and dental caries. Obviously, the diabetic does not have to eat foods containing sugar to have sugar in their mouth and it is well known that sugar results in dental caries. An increased incidence of tooth decay has been found in association with uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes in both humans and experimental animals. This no doubt relates to increased glucose levels in saliva. The uncontrolled diabetic has an increased susceptibility to mouth infections including gum disease, the major cause of tooth loss worldwide. Also seen commonly is the thickening of the gums and delayed healing. The alveolar bone which surrounds each tooth is often destroyed by the diabetic condition. Apart from that, the blood cells bound with the task of
combating invading germs, seem to be rendered ineffective by the elevated glucose content in the blood. This simply means that the condition increases the chance of the victims losing their teeth. A persistent dry mouth accompanied by opportunistic yeast infections is often seen in diabetics. Altered taste sensations have been described as an early feature of diabetes in some individuals. This may result from the presence of altered glucose receptors or from mild manifestations of diabetic nerve disease. Treatment of diabetes is designed to lower blood glucose levels and prevent the complications associated with the disease. Evidence suggests that rigid metabolic control of blood glucose levels is important to successful therapy. Diet control has been used for many years to control the dis-
ease by reducing the intake of starches and sugars and also by minimising body fat. Diabetics should not receive elective dental treat-
ment unless their condition is stabilised. Dental practitioners in all state clinics are instructed that dental treatment for such patients
should be provided only with the aid of medical advice and appropriate care, In cases of emergency procedures prophylactic
antibiotic should be used to minimise the potential for postoperative infections and delayed wound healing.
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